He told The Daily Mirror: "I’m confident we can win the title again next year. I feel we’re growing every year as a club.

"You can see with the players signing new contracts that we are growing and making a better team every year. Hopefully anyone that comes in this summer will help the team and help us even better for next season.

"To achieve that next year [winning the title] we have to follow the line that we showed against United."

The former Valencia man went on to blame luck for City's faltering title challenge and pinpointed Robin van Persie's late goal at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the campaign as a crucial moment.

He added: "Last year we had luck at the right times and this year we have not had that. We’ve played well in games, then in the last moment and get a goal against us.

"This season has been a little bit like that. What I really think has happened is that, in certain moments, luck has not been with us.

"I feel I’ve had a good season like all my team-mates, but I think the difference was that goal. But we still have the FA Cup and I think we can win that."